Asus Zenbook UX303UB: A nifty multimedia laptop with powerful specs

Technology is evolving at a rapid pace to cope with the ever-changing demands of the consumers. For instance, present-day laptops have drastically transformed from what they used to be five years back. Today, consumers have a vast range of options from high-end gaming laptops to the light-weighed, ultra-portable notebooks. With so many choices available in the market, every user can now choose with more freedom than ever before.

Well, today I will be reviewing an ultra-portable notebook that perfectly suits people who are constantly on the move and need a convenient device to sustain their work and entertainment requisites.

To be a bit specific, I am talking about the Asus Zenbook UX303UB—a handy notebook that packs the configuration of a regular-sized unit. When I first got my hands on this laptop, I was a bit disappointed as the review unit featured a i5 processor instead of the upgraded version with an i7 processor. That said, I have had a decent experience working on this notebook and here is all that you need to know about the Zenbook UX303UB.

Design and build: On unboxing the review unit, the first thing that caught my attention was the simple but classy design. The smoky-brown coloured lid is further decorated with a spun-metal finish, and the company’s logo engraved in the middle. Weighing just 1.4 kilograms, the UB303Ub is just a few grams heavier than Apple’s 13-inch Macbook Air and can be carried around without breaking a sweat.

On the left hand side of the device, there are two USB 3.0 ports and a card reader slot while the right hand side houses a single USB 3.0 port, HDMI-out port, battery indicator, headphone output, and a Thunderbolt port. A Thunderbolt port is essentially a mini-display port and can also be used for its fast data transfer capabilities.

Opening the lid reveals a 13.3-inch ultra-slim Full HD (1920X1080p) screen, illuminated chicklet-style keyboard, and a decent-sized trackpad. Other than that, the area around the trackpad is decently spread-out for easy, uncluttered operation.

The area on top of the screen also accommodates a ambient-light sensor and HD web camera for video calling. For its size, the notebook is decently sturdy and can surely withstand a couple of bumps. However, dropping this device would require a lot of effort as it feels firm in the hand and is not slippery at all. There are four raised rubber pads at the rear, eliminating any chances of damaging or scratching the device. Also, chances of getting any smudges or fingerprints are minor, thanks to the lustreless finishing.

Personally, I like the simplistic design of the notebook and the best part is the colour pattern, which makes it look even classier. While there are other beautifully designed notebooks in the market, the Zenbook UX303UB is more than capable of giving them a tough competition.

Hardware and Performance: If you think notebooks can’t pack a decent performance punch in comparison to your usual 15-inch laptops, this notebook will make you think again, for sure! Although gaming can be a tad difficult on this machine owing to the small-sized screen, the device’s configuration just about matches all entry-level gaming laptops in the market. However, people have to keep in mind that this is essentially an ultra-portable multi-utility notebook rather than a full-fledged gaming beast.

Equipped with an Intel i5-6200U (Skylake) 2.3GHz Processor, 8GB RAM, and a 2GB Nvidia Geforce GT 940M, the notebook definitely has what it takes to offer fluid performance, without any hiccups. (The unit I got for review was 8GB, however, you can expand it later up to 12 GB.)

Coming back to the screen, the 170-degree wide-angle screen churns out a vibrant display, which not only enhances your video-gazing experience, but also improves other tasks such as web browsing and gaming.

Multi-tasking is a breeze on this device and I faced no problems playing music, browsing multiple sites, and running numerous applications. As I mentioned earlier, gaming is also decent on this notebook, however, you will disappointed if you were expecting it to run all the latest high-end gaming titles. While most games work absolutely lag-free on low/medium graphics, I would recommend users to not play too much while placing the device on their lap to avoid heating issues.

Some of the games I have tried out on this device are Fifa 16, Battlefield 4, Watch Dogs, and even a few titles from 2014. Well, in terms of performance, the notebook will surely appeal to those who look want to step out of the house with their daily dose of digital entertainment.

In terms of hardware specs, the notebook supports almost all connectivity options such as Bluetooth, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a mini-display port, and three USB 3.0 ports. Other than that, you have the built-in speakers, which you will find protruding out sneakily from the sides.

However, the audio quality on this device is one aspect that really disappointed me. Asus have advocated their exclusive SonicMaster audio, which incorporates ICEpower Bang & Olufsen technology for producing impeccable sound. However, the sound output seemed really weak and low; I literally had to turn off the fan in the room to listen to the audio properly.

The 3-cell Li-ion Polymer battery pack dazed me a little as it managed to stay alive after 5 hours of movie-watching and strenuous multi-tasking. However, gaming on the device is a different ball game and the device is bound to shut down after 2 hours. So you might as well keep your charger plugged on while gaming.

The charging unit is also powerful and can charge the notebook in less than an hour. All in all, the notebook is capable of lasting a day, if you use it judiciously.

Additional software and storage: The Asus Zenbook UX303UB runs on the latest version of Windows 10 and looks great, albeit the myriad bloatware that comes along with it. One of the facets worth pointing out is the Asus Smart Gesture technology, which allows users to connect smartphone to the notebook and use it as a second touchpad, a presenter or even as a media remote.

Other than that, there are pools of applications that you can use apart form Asus’s proprietary Giftbox, which stacks apps such as TripAdvisor, Evernote, Adobe Creative Cloud and so on. I have never used the Giftbox personally, but you can definitely dive in and check out the offerings.  

Moving on to storage options, the unit that came in for review had a 1TB HDD, which is very good for storage but I would have preferred a 512GB or even a 256GB SSD over an HDD any day. However, the good part is, the notebook comes with options and you should go for an SSD instead of settling for HDD, albeit the low storage capacity.

Verdict and Price: While there are other upgraded Ultrabooks and notebooks in the market, the Asus UX303UB has a lot to offer for users on the move. However, I feel that the Rs 71,490 price tag is a tad over-priced for this device. If you’re thinking whether you should buy it or not, I would suggest you to go for the model with an upgraded i7 processor and SSD storage option. However, you can always go for other cheaper options, if you are willing to compromise on performance.